New Rules of Sunscreen: Save Spray-Ons for Targeted Areas

Spray-on sunscreens prevent your hands from getting full of lotion, but dermatologists say they scatter too wide and evaporate before glomming onto skin. "Watch a guy spray himself – he'll be engulfed in a cloud of sunscreen, most of which never actually touches his body," says Dr. John E. Wolf Jr., a dermatologist at Baylor College of Medicine. Plus, many sprays are aerosol, and the FDA is still examining whether that poses any health risks such as asthma. Save sprays for targeted areas like bald spots or along your hairline, where lotion can gunk up, says Dr. Marnie Nussbaum, of the Melanoma Research Alliance. Look for a nonaerosol pump like KINeSYS Alcohol-Free Spray Sunscreen SPF 30 ($19; kinesysstore.com), which is also sweat-resistant.